Window Intercoms Undercounter Loops... Maybe?

Posted on 25 January 2023

Commonplace at checkouts, reception areas, ticket outlets and bank. Undercounter hearing loops have long been considered the industry standard when providing hearing accessibility to wearers of hearing aids.

Like many things though, the pandemic has changed the physical makeup of these environments and the question needs to be asked; “Are we still providing the most suitable assistive hearing solutions to our customers operating in these situations?”.

Assistive hearing is no longer only about supporting those fitted with hearing aids, it’s about facilitating better communication for everyone.

Nine months since the restrictions imposed during the pandemic have eased, it’s clear that the glass / plastic partition screens installed to enforce infection control are here to stay. This has created communication problems… it’s simply made it harder to hear and it’s having a tangible effect on the customer experience and business.

In retail, it’s meant a huge change to the customer experience. The checkout process has become clumsy and slow as people struggle to hear simple dialogue in noisy environments.

In healthcare, a place with health at the core of its business. Staff and patients are being placed at risk as patients lean around barriers to converse and understand each other. This renders the health benefits provided by barriers completely obsolete.

So, what’s the solution?

It’s now about reinventing the wheel, rather than supplying more suitable options for our customer’s current problems. Window Intercom Systems (WIS).

WIS are a two-way communication device fitted with an under-counter hearing loop that provides accessibility for all users struggling to hear through physical barriers.

Designed to ‘transfer’ audio through barriers at normal speaking volumes, WIS is bringing back a natural customer experience to retail while addressing concerns about the health and privacy of information in the process.

When next discussing assistive hearing in these locations. Ask yourself the question, “what’s the more suitable solution” and consider substituting an undercounter loop for a window intercom solution.